The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-07-16

A romantic story was developed
to-day by the initial steps of building
Russian iron mill at Freeport, a
small town thirty miles north OF Pitts
burgh. The towns people donated the
site and $4,000 10 firm TO build there.
One of the firm related the following
story
This will be the first Russian iron
mill ever built outside Of Siberia. An
imitation of Russia iron has been
made In this country for some time,
but il is not impervious 10 rust I'M
nervousness TO rust is the crucial test
OF genuine Russia iron.
There Is little history connected
with the introduction of this industry
into America. Few persons Imagine
what risk was run In learning the
secret Of the treatment by which Rus
STA iron is made. There are but three
people outside Of Russia to-day that
know this secret They are: Mr.. viii
liam III. Rogers, his father, and his
nephew. Mr.. Rogers came into the
possession OF the secret in this way:
About eighteen years ago he was
sent out as Pennsylvania state geolo-
gist TO Russia He had credentials
addressed to ex-Gov Curtin, the min
lister at ~. Petersburg at that time.
and was received with great pomp
and ceremony by Princess Demidofl,
in whose Siberian mines he was osten-
sibly TO carry on his geological inves-
LEGATIONS. The princess attended him
in person on his long journey, five
hundred miles into the Ural noun
tains, and treated the American geol-
ogist with all the imperial courtesy
accorded 70 the most distinguished
foreigner. The Russian mobiles, too.
took great fancy 10 Mr.. Rogers, and
insisted that he should purchase few
million acres Of land--in Siberia a
million acres is but a triiie- and es-
tablish an American colony. Mr..
Rogers said he hadn't the money.
'.Oh, it won't take mnch,' they said;
"a few million dollars would answer
the purpose
1.-The offer, however, was declined
as politely as possible, without letting
the nobleman know that IL was alto
gether possible for Pennsylvania
state geologist TO be as poor as the
proverbial Jcb's turkey.
LAS long as Mr.. Rogers confined his
explorations TO the mines he attracted
little or no suspicion. but as soon as
he set foot inside the iron smills of
Princess Demidoff he was subjected
10 the most vigilant espionage. IL
must be remembered that all the men
I'm these mills who know the secret of
making Russian iron are never allowed
10 quit the mines. IL is difficult for
Americans TO understand how this Is,
but 10 any one who has seen the In
side workings of such despotic gov
eminent as Russia's, the matter Is
perfectly plain. All who pass 10 and
from Siberia are vised and vised again
at thousand different points, and the
slightest suspicion is enough TO war
rant travellers detention. "One day
Mr.. Rogers was making an inspection
of the iron mills, when he overheard
one OF the foremen say:
That's queer kind Of geologist,
/ have my suspicious about him.
"Nr. Rogers was not long In making
his arrangements for bidding the de-
lectable land of Siberia final farewell.
With the special study he has made
of iron-making before going 10 Rus
STA, he was not long in discovering
the much-coveted secret, and came
home delighted with his experience as
state geologist.'